Hawaii - Jeff Campbell [333]
It says something about a town when its biggest grocer is a health food store. At Down to Earth Natural Foods ( 572-1488; 1169 Makawao Ave; 8am-8pm) you’ll find all the expected staples as well as takeout fare. Locals gather to sell their homegrown produce once a week at a small farmers market (Eddie Tam Complex; 7-9am Sat).
Entertainment
Casanova ( 572-0220; 1188 Makawao Ave) This is the place to go after dark in the Upcountry. Casanova has a happening dance floor with live music several nights a week and DJs on others.
Stopwatch Bar & Grill ( 572-1380; 1127 Makawao Ave) For a fun local scene, swing by this friendly sports bar, which brings in Upcountry musicians like the Haiku Hillbillys on weekends. Any other time it’s all about sports TV.
Shopping
Start your exploration by wandering down Baldwin Ave from where it intersects with Makawao Ave.
Hot Island Glass ( 572-4527; 3620 Baldwin Ave) Everyone comes here to watch the glassblowers (10:30am to 4pm) spin their red-hot creations. The works range from small paperweights to elaborate fine-art pieces, with an emphasis on ocean themes.
Viewpoints Gallery ( 572-5979; 3620 Baldwin Ave) You’ll feel like you’re walking into a museum at Makawao’s classiest gallery, where a dozen of the island’s finest artists hang their works.
Randy Jay Braun Gallery ( 573-1176; 1152 Makawao Ave) Braun’s sepia photographs of traditional hula dancers are among the most recognized photo art in Hawaii today. Also interesting are his shots of Hawaiian cowboys.
Aloha Cowboy ( 573-8190; 3643 Baldwin Ave) Get your cowboy-themed retro lunch pails and rhinestone-studded leather bags here.
Designing Wahine ( 573-0990; 3640 Baldwin Ave) Make this your first stop if you’re looking for quality classic aloha shirts and hand-dyed Ts with paniolo themes. Lots of island-made souvenir goodies too.
* * *
DETOUR: LABYRINTH WALKS
Up for a meditative moment? The Sacred Garden of Maliko ( 573-7700; 460 Kaluanui Rd; admission free; 10am-5pm), a self-described healing sanctuary, has a pair of rock-garden labyrinth walks guaranteed to reset the harmony gauge. One’s in an orchid greenhouse facing a contemplative Buddha statue; the other’s in a kukui (candlenut trees) grove beside Maliko Stream. Take your time, feel each step on the pebbles underfoot, listen to the trickling stream, inhale the gentle scent of the garden. S-o-o-o soul soothing. To get there, turn east off Baldwin Ave onto Kaluanui Rd. After 0.8 miles you’ll cross a one-lane bridge; 0.2 miles further look for a low stone wall – the garden is on the right just before a sharp S-curve in the road.
* * *
Getting There & Around
Maui Bus ( 871-4838) operates between Kahului and Makawao ($1) every 90 minutes from 6am to 9pm.
HA′IKU
pop 4500
In some ways this little town is like Pa′ia before all the tourists arrived. Like Pa′ia, Ha′iku’s roots are in sugarcane. Maui’s first 12 acres of the sweet stuff was planted right here in 1869, and the village once had both a sugar mill and pineapple canneries. Thanks to its affordability and proximity to Ho′okipa Beach, it’s a haunt of pro surfers who have rejuvenated the town. Today the old cannery buildings are once again the heart of the community, housing a yoga studio, several surfboard shops and the kind of eateries that make a detour fun.
Activities
Studio Maui ( 575-9390; www.thestudiomaui.com; Ha′iku Marketplace, 810 Ha′iku Rd; classes $13-25; 7:30am-10pm) attracts a high-energy, good-karma crowd with a full schedule of yoga classes from Anusara basics to power-flow yoga, as well as ecstatic dance, New Age concerts and more.
Sleeping
Pilialoha ( 572-1440; mh@pilialoha.com; 2512 Kaupakalua Rd; d $135) This sunny split-level cottage blends countryside charm with all the comforts of a home away from home. The setting, nestled in a eucalyptus grove, is pretty. Everything inside is pretty too. But it’s the warm hospitality and attention